Leonard, Lowry lead Raptors over 76ers 129-112
TORONTO >> Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points, Pascal Siakam had 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors bounced back from their first loss of the season by routing Philadelphia 129-112 on Tuesday night, handing the 76ers their 12th consecutive defeat north of the border.
Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 13 assists, extending his streak of double-digit assist games to a career-best six. Jonas Valanciunas scored a season-high 23 points and Serge Ibaka had 16 as the Raptors improved to 6-0 at home.
Joel Embiid scored 31 points, Robert Covington had 15 and JJ Redick scored 13 as the 76ers lost for the first time in three games. Philadelphia is 0-4 on the road.
Ben Simmons narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, but also committed 11 turnovers.
Leonard returned after sitting out Monday’s loss at Milwaukee,
the second time this season he has been rested in one half of a back-to-back. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year was limited to nine games with San Antonio last season because of a quadriceps injury.
Leonard has scored at least 20 in all six games he’s played this season. He shot 10-for-19 against Philadelphia and went 9-for-10 at the free throw line.
Embiid cut the deficit to six, 117-111, on a 3-pointer with 3:29 remaining. After a timeout, Toronto responded with a 7-0 run that was capped by a 3 from Leonard with 1:56 left.
Toronto’s home winning streak against the Sixers is the second-longest against a single opponent in franchise
history, eclipsed only by an active 15-game streak against Minnesota.
Valanciunas scored eight points in the first quarter as Toronto led 35-36 after one, and then added seven more in the second to put the Raptors up 67-53 at halftime.
Leonard scored 11 points in the third and Ibaka had eight as Toronto pulled away, taking a 105-86 lead into the final quarter.
TIP-INS
76ERS >> Embiid had 11 rebounds . ... Philadelphia had eight turnovers in the first quarter and 14 in the opening half, including seven by Simmons. They finished with 23 . ... Mike Muscala scored 12 points . ... The Sixers have not won in Toronto since a 93-83 victory on Nov. 10, 2012. RAPTORS >> G Fred VanVleet (sprained left big toe) missed his fourth straight game . ... F OG Anunoby (personal reason) was inactive for the third straight game . ... Toronto outscored Philadelphia 27-12 on the fast break . ... Siakam scored a career-best 22 points at Milwaukee on Monday.
UP NEXT
76ERS >> Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.